28
Enrique strode up the steps of the Idaho State Police Barracks. He’d received a call from the station with a request to come immediately. It had to be about Jamie, but the man on the phone wouldn’t answer his questions.
He opened the door appreciating the coolness of the air conditioner. People were moving about each working on their own cases.
He walked up to the reception desk. “I’m FBI agent, Enrique Rodriquez.” He showed his badge. “I was called to come in, but...”
The officer held out a hand for his badge.
“I was called, but wasn’t given any other information. Can you explain what’s going on?”
“Hold on.” He walked away with Enrique’s badge and gave it to another officer. After a whispered conference, the new man came to the desk.
“Agent Rodriquez, thanks for coming.” He held out his hand. “We talked on the phone. I’m Donald Trump. And no, I’m not that Donald, and he’s no relation.”
“Nice to meet you.”
“We have a bit of a situation here.”
“How can I help?”
“We have a woman in custody—a possible murder suspect. She won’t say a word to us except to give us your name and your phone number.”
“A murder suspect? Who’s the victim?” Jamie?
“Don’t know yet. He didn’t have any ID on him and your woman’s not telling us anything. Not her name. Not his name. Nothing.”
“What happened?”
“My officer found her walking along the side of the road. She claimed she’d run out of gas and was lost, but she had blood on her. They took a ride back the way the woman said she’d come. Found a body in a cabin. And no abandoned car anywhere on the road.”
“What did she say?”
“Won’t say a thing except your name and phone number.”
“She told you I was FBI?”
“She did, and then we verified it before we called you.” Donald Trump gave him a smile. “Can’t be too careful these days.”
“Can I see her?”
“Absolutely. I’m hoping you can tell us what’s going on. Or who the victim is.”
“What about fingerprints?”
“Nothing came up in our state database. We’re running them through the network as we speak. But I’m sure you know that can be a longer process than they show on the TV shows. I’ll let you go in alone, but I’ll be watching from the observation room with the sound on and recording, as well. Her Miranda rights have already been read to her.”
“Isn’t that jumping the gun a bit?”
“Not as far as I’m concerned.”
“Mind if I take a look at her from the observation booth before I go in? To see if I actually know her.”
“No problem.” Trump walked ahead of Enrique and opened the door. The two men stepped into a darkened cubicle and up to the observation window. Relief coursed through Enrique. At least Jamie wasn’t the murder victim.
Jamie sat at a table wiping away tears. Her hair was disheveled, and her face had streaks of dirt. Her shirt was covered in blood.
“I know her.”
“What’s her name?”
“This is a complicated situation.”
“I didn’t ask you if it was complicated. I asked you her name.”
“She doesn’t look well. Is she hurt?”
“She said she was fine. What’s her name?”
“I need to explain the situation, but first I need to see her.”
“Because it’s too complicated to tell me her name?” The man’s eyes turned hard as he stared at Enrique. “Does that mean you won’t tell me her name?”
“No, of course not. But I’ll need a few minutes with her. In private. No recording.”
The two men locked gazes. After a moment, Donald Trump nodded. “I want her name.”
“And I’ll give you her name.”
“Why does it feel like you’re jacking me around?”
“I’m not. Honestly. I’ll tell you her name right now. Just do me a favor and don’t run it until we can talk. That’s all I’m asking.”
“Aren’t we talking right now?”
“You’re going to jump to the wrong conclusion if you run her name.”
“Because it’s complicated?”
Trust was a two-way street. “Her name is Jamie Jakowski.”
“Is she FBI?”
His superiors had been adamant that she wasn’t, yet they’d insisted he come along to assist her. And that he wasn’t to interfere with her until she found Zinkleman. “She is and she isn’t.”
“Oh, well. Now I understand. And that wasn’t complicated at all.”
Jamie was pacing now.
“I will explain the whole thing. I just need to talk to her first. Because I don’t have a clue what happened. I told you her name. Let me talk to her for a few minutes, and then I’ll tell you what I know.”
Donald Trump nodded.